online networks for marketing:

Making connection with other businesses via online networks ultimately means marketing your goods or services. It is, though, important to realise that online networking isn't just another sales channel that you can approach in just the same way as your other online marketing. Special attention has to be paid to the network members themselves and what level of advertising they are prepared to tolerate on their network.There are risks involved in using online networking as a marketing channel and it is important to approach this type of advertising with care.Networking and marketing strategies

The types of advertising you can use within the online networks you join are similar to those that you may already be using across the web. These include:Banner advertising - banners occupy a designated area for rent on web pages, and can include video, audio and interactive capabilities. Usually work on 'click-through' - users click on the banner and are linked to the website that is paying for the advert. Email campaigns - sending targeted emails to selected customers or potential new customers, sometimes containing special offers, discounts and other promotions. Viral marketing - online 'word-of-mouth' or 'tell a friend' campaigns that encourage users to spread the message to their social networks. Link building - some social networking sites provide profile pages, blogs or other editable spaces that allow keyword rich links to be added. This can contribute to your search engine optimisation strategy. See our guide on search engine optimisation.

Understanding online network users You may already be using each of the above types of advertising to promote your business online. Remember that networks are collections of people and businesses that have chosen to join that network to gain business contacts and not necessarily to see advertising messages.


You must evaluate the level of advertising and promotional material you can push to these members. Also, the kind of advertising you use is also important. A viral ad campaign may be wholly inappropriate within a network of company directors for instance.Understand the audience you are marketing to, and their likely response to the advertising approach you intend to use. You should also check the terms and conditions of any online network that you intend to use, to ensure that any marketing activity that you do is acceptable. See also our guide on e-commerce and the law